Renfrew County's only pediatrician flies in from Toronto once a month to see patients

The only pediatrician serving Renfrew County has been flying in once a month from Toronto since March to see patients.

Dr. Jay Dahman currently practices out of Humber River Hospital and Downsview Pediatric Urgent Care Clinic in Toronto. However, a sense of duty has led him to offer up his services after Renfrew County's last pediatrician retired in January.

"They need a pediatrician to help them out there," Dahman tells CTV News.

"I mean, the closest pediatrician is at CHEO in Ottawa and that's like an hour and a half drive. So why not come to them and serve them as long as it's not something that's critical."

This month and last, Dahman's plane has been grounded each travel day due to weather and maintenance issues.

As to not cancel appointments with waiting families, he took seven Zoom appointments on Friday.

"We're remote and rural and we're having difficulty getting doctors to the area," says Judy Hill, Executive Director of the Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre.

"We certainly are short of doctors; general practitioners and some specialists as well. Pediatricians being one of them."

The health centre says since joining the team in Renfrew County in March, Dahman has held appointments with roughly 50 patients. The centre's busiest doctor will typically see 50 patients in the span of three weeks.

"It's him or Ottawa," says Hill, referring to the next closest pediatrician.

"There's none here anyways, so I feel like beggars can't be choosers," said Leeann Palmer-Ward, who brought in her eight month old son for their first meeting with Dr. Dahman on Friday.

"I feel like local would be better because they could see them in person. There's things you just can't see over video."

Dahman says he can see between five to seven patients each time he travels to the valley.

"He plans to see us when he can get here," says Palmer-Ward. "Because he wants to actually see him in person."

Dahman says he feels proud serving the people of Renfrew County, many of whom are struggling without a family doctor, as he does what he can to help alleviate the shortage crisis.

"It's a good feeling to know that what I'm doing is paying off," says Dahman.

"Word of mouth is spreading that, hey there is a pediatrician that's serving their kids there."